When storing a stove with regulated burners, what's the proper position for the valve? It seems to me that after the pressure is released the valve should be opened slightly to prevent the valve from seizing in the closed position. Is this correct or should the valve be left closed? Any input would be useful. Thanks Jet-A
The problem with leaving the valve open is that temperature changes will slightly pressurise the tank, and it'll leak! On the classic brassies, (unregulated) leave the fill cap ajar, or you'll have puddles...
Thanks, I was thinking of storage with the tank empty but now that I think about it, it's probably better to have kerosene instead of air in the tank.
I never encountered a seized valve in the closed position. This includes stoves I bought on eBay that have been stored closed for 30 - 60 years. Just don't close it too tight. Yonadav
The big problem with needle valves in any machine is people who screw 'em in too tight. It seems to be difficult to get people to use their judgement as to the difference between "closed" "closed snugly" and "pressure welded shut for all eternity" As a yoot I worked in a small (me and the Boss) boatyard/machine shop/repair facility on the banks of the Cowlitz River in Kelso, WA. One of our real money makers was repairing hydraulic jacks for Weyerhauser. They went through about 400 a year. By "went through" I mean "inadvertently ruined". Mostly it was ham fisted fools turning the stop valves in too far, putting grooves in the needle valve bodies and the valve seats. They also overloaded 500 ton jacks, blowing out the o-rings. We had a configurable jig/work table where we could disassemble a 500 ton jack in minutes, clean it, replace the o-rings, and most importantly remove the steel T-handle stop valve body, replacing it with a shop made brass one with a knurled knob 1/2" in diameter thus not allowing a poorly trained gorilla to ruin the valve. Again. We furnished spare valve inserts for the idiots who went after them with vicegrips. Similar things happen to brass stoves. Poorly trained gorillae overtighten needle valves, then sit, scratch their itchy flea bites and wonder what went wrong. Simply screw the valve in until it stops. Then quit. Do this with all the valves on a unit. Then the only thing that can leak is a perished rubber gasket. Buy Viton gaskets from Ross and this problem vanishes. He sells 'em darned cheap too, bless him. Thank you, Ross, from the bottom of my curmedgeonly, intemperate old heart. Crusty, ill tempered ol' Gerry
Good info and much appreciated. I'm not too hard on equipment and have seen my share of damage due to ham fisted "operators". Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
All good suggestions, BUT if you own an Optimus Nova, then, do not shut the valve when still hot, or it will sieze. Siezed valve? solution, preheat with meth, and it will get free without forcing with danger of damage. Orsoorso
Yeah for some reason that happens on my Nova, I guess the metal on the valve contracts onto the spindal when it cools. I just let it cool then close it up.
I thonk so too, the spindle stay somewhat cool during use , as it is cooled by the fuel flow, while the valve boady heats up much more. If you shut the valve and forget opening it before it cools down, the shrinking (shortening)valve boady vill trap the spindle. Heating it up, however, will free the spindle from its termal trap. Orsoorso
That makes sense. The valves are very tight when the stove is cold but work fine whrn the stove is hot. They're Optimus 207 burners by the way. I would think that if the tank is empty and the fuel cap slightly ajar, there would be no harm in leaving the valves slightly open. However, as was pointed out, if there is fuel in the tank, changes in pressure would force fuel into the burners if the valves were open.
